Spike Lee, by your own admission, you have not seen Tarantino’s newest film, but you have been hyper-critical of it. You stated: “I’m not seeing it. All I’m gonna say is, it’d be disrespectful to my ancestors to see that film. That’s all I’m gonna say. I can’t disrespect my ancestors.” You later added on Twitter: “American Slavery Was Not A Sergio Leone Spaghetti Western. It Was A Holocaust. My Ancestors Are Slaves. Stolen From Africa. I Will Honor Them.”

Well then, why haven't you yet? You've had enough time to create this epic movie. You've made She's Got to Have It, School Daze, Do the Right Thing, Jungle Fever, Malcolm X, and a number of other movies. Where's the epic on slavery--that movie dedicated to our ancestors. The one person who you could have united with, for funding and networking, Tyler Perry, you have probably alienated. You could have honored our ancestors by learning to work with your peers and appreciating the value in their work or contribution, rather than always criticizing and appearing to be that "crab in the barrel."

Why don't you do what any intelligent person would do, reserve comment until after you see the movie? Oh, I forgot, you're not going to see it.

I say all this, and I continue to be one of your biggest fans, and I'm critical of Tyler Perry's movies as well. But what I don't like is playing the ancestor card. I take my ancestor veneration seriously. I have a shrine and make a pilgrimage annually to their grave sites, so I don't take lightly people using them as a scapegoat for their political, economic or egotistical platform! This sounds like a personal beef between you other director-producers you have sparred with in the past; some for valid reasons, others not. This performance you are putting on has little to do with our ancestors and may really be an effort to keep yourself relevant concerning movies about Black people.

I'm going to do the intelligent thing and see the movie, then give my impressions.

PS: I once taught a high school history course entitled, Afrikan American History through Cinema.

Brother Seba Damani!!!!!!! thank you so much for your comments to spike lee, it is similar to what i have said to several people who have already commented on the film. i have not yet seen this film and looking forward to it. and until i do, will refrain from commenting on it. Hold your corner and your corn!!!! One love.

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Jerome Goldenschwartze

12/27/2012 08:05:34 am

Seen the movie, it's Nazi Propaganda straight and plain. It lacks context and alienates truth. It is a well made film because with a mind control mission as large as this you need a master. Brother Seba you articulated my thoughts exactly. hit me with an email, so we can build, I earnestly need you energy brotha.

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Seba Damani

12/27/2012 11:33:28 pm

There is definitely some propaganda going on. Read my view for my take. Thanks for the comments.

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Seba Damani

12/27/2012 11:31:55 pm

Thanks for the comment. One Love!

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Seba (aka director) Harris

12/31/2012 11:39:30 am

I think your response to Spike Lee's allege comments were right on. Unfortunately, Spike has the mike, which alludes his voice as right.

“The ridiculous argument about any social value of the latest slave exploitation movie, ‘Django,’ reaches absurdity. No person alive today experienced the horrors of that time. Therefore, any movie can only be a person’s own view of their perception of that time. Most of us will vote our complete disregard of its value and the complete irrelevance of the movie, by not paying a cent to the mov...iemaker . Some will pay and voice disapproval and some will pay and voice approval.

Slavery does exist, even today, and is documented through history, in many cultures. The United States made illegal the belief that one human can own another in this country. However, the unintended consequences continue in our culture today. American society failure to properly recognize that despite laws in the U.S.A. in the 17th, 18th and half of the 19th century, permitting human ownership, and later Jim Crow laws, the overall denial of professional education, civil service jobs, and equal access to public institutions, did not deter success among today’s survivors .

For sure, Mr. Tarentino’s previous movies offered a similar theme. His love of violence (Pulp Fiction, Kill Bill) the horror of war (Inglorious Bastards) with the simple depiction of German soldiers (arguably the best trained most efficient army of its time) as fools, makes viewing difficult. Anyone who has the unfortunate experience of having to actually experience the life of a combat soldier will certainly tell you soldiers never die that easily. How do you depict the side effect of blowing off someone’s head with your rifle, or picking up your best friend’s body parts? Not much glory there. Movie makers try, but rarely succeed, in translating any life experience or historical event into a 90 minute tribute.

It remains difficult to understand why so many fans feel the need to qualify Mr. Tarentino’s effort. He certainly could care less, only makes movies to make money, and he loves the controversy. He has no interest or responsibility to historically represent any events. His movie is nothing more but an attempt to put something on film that people will pay to see. I will not pay.

I strongly recommend you read three Books. These books may provide valuable information and accurate research provided by people who actually have experienced what they are writing about.

1. How Europe Underdeveloped Africa, by Dr. Walter Rodney (details the movement of Africans to North America, the corporations involved, and the means they used to kidnap and capture the future African inhabitants of North America, now known as the ‘African Diaspora.’

2. Black Political Thought in the Making of South African Democracy, by Dr. CRD Halisi, Professor of African Studies at a California state university (personal family friend of over 50 years who lived in South Africa, did his research there, and knows Nelson Mandela. You will be amazed at the similarities between the South African effort and the civil rights effort in the U.S.).

3. Wretched of the Earth, by Dr. Franz Fanon (Fanon was a psychiatrist who examined and helped explain the social effects of colonialism on the oppressed people. He coined the phrase “lumpenproletariat”).

Read these books and do yourself a favor.”

Reply

Seba Damani

1/5/2013 06:19:27 am

Thanks for the comments. Two of the books you referenced I have read (Fanon and Rodney), in addition to penning my own tome, Distorted Truths.